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# Mikol focused on always improving to help lead Bedford football
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/mikol-focused-on-always-improving-to-help-lead-bedford-football/
- Published: 2021-11-05T14:30:56.000Z
- Updated: 2021-11-05T14:30:56.000Z
- Description: The story of Joe Mikol's ascension to starting quarterback for the Bedford High School football team is one of working hard to achieve a goal. Fortunately for the Bulldogs, Mikol didn't just stop at becoming the starter. Since before the beginning of his sophomore year, Mikol has done whatever it t
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division I, Bedford, Bulldogs, football, Joe Mikol, NH High School Sports Insider, slider, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

The story of Joe Mikol's ascension to starting quarterback for the Bedford High School football team is one of working hard to achieve a goal.

Fortunately for the Bulldogs, Mikol didn't just stop at becoming the starter.

Since before the beginning of his sophomore year, Mikol has done whatever it took to improve on his game, whether its been watching film, hitting the weight room, or in some cases, trusting his teammates.

"I think it reminds you of the journey these kids take throughout their high school career," Bedford coach Zach Matthews said. "Every year is a different dynamic with a different team and you have a different group of kids. His sophomore year, he was the best option we had, but he was young. He’s a totally different player from who I had back then."

Mikol wasn't the starter on the freshman team during his first year at Bedford, and when Matthews came in that offseason as the new head coach, he may have had Mikol on his list of potential quarterbacks, but he wasn't near the top.

"We started some summer workouts and it was then, when we started doing 7-on-7s, we had a couple of athletes in the system who had played quarterback before, but I think they were more athletes," Matthews said. "We’re looking at these kids and thinking they might be able to help us at wide receiver, but I don’t know about quarterback. Then, the biggest thing for Joe was that he just kept showing up that summer."

During that offseason in 2019, Mikol's family reached out to Trevor Knight, who was a standout quarterback at Nashua South and the University of New Hampshire, to see if he would work with Mikol to try to improve his game.

At first, all Mikol was hoping for was to get a step ahead for the starting job on junior varsity.

"I was hoping to get some playing time on JV, maybe varsity," he said. "(Knight) got me into a real quarterback form. He brings a great aspect to my game. When he was in high school, he wasn’t a big thrower, he made a lot of plays with his feet. Kind of the opposite (of Mikol). Working with him, he’s been able to add a great aspect to my running, but also he’s been working on my form."

As Mikol kept showing up that summer and into the preseason, the coaching staff started to give him more opportunities. At first, he was splitting reps at quarterback during scrimmages, but by the time the season began, he was the starter for Bedford.

"Showing up to every single workout, and he didn’t waste a rep," Matthews said. "Every time he made a mistake, it was ‘OK, what did I do wrong and how do I fix that.’ We constantly had those conversations. We started putting him in situations where he could compete with some of the older kids, and the thing I was most impressed with was his demeanor.

"A lot of time with sophomores, it has nothing to do with the physical maturity or knowing where to go with the ball. Sometimes the maturity’s not there, the moment can be too big. He was very even keeled, and I think that’s the biggest attribute he has."

With a new coach and a new starting quarterback getting their first taste of Bedford varsity football at the same time - and for a program coming off its second Division I title in three years - Matthews and Mikol were on the same page in many ways.

"We were able to figure it out and grow together," Mikol said. "That was definitely a good thing for me. When he came in, he brought new aspects to the offense, different ideas. I was able to grow with that instead of having to switch from one head coach to a different one. He was getting used to everything here. We were both able to get our feet wet, get used to the program and the atmosphere."

That year started well for the Bulldogs, as they won their first five games, but they finished the year losing three of four, including the regular-season finale at Pinkerton, which knocked Bedford out of the playoffs for the first time since 2013.

The 2020 season was a tough one all around, due to COVID-19, and the Bulldogs had the highs of a three-game win streak midseason and a comeback playoff win over Manchester Memorial. But there was also the low of a 35-7 loss to Goffstown that ended the year.

"Tough ending to our season," Mikol said. "Won’t ever forget that."

Despite that, Matthews could see improvements in Mikol during the year, but he could also see areas where he still had to get better, and perhaps the biggest one was in sharing the load.

"I think there were times his junior year where he felt like he had to do it all on every single play," Matthews said. "Last year, he played well, but there were times he felt it was all on his shoulders. I think he’s gotten much better at understanding when it’s time to take off, and when it’s time to throw a shorter pass instead of taking a shot at the deep one. That’s where I see the growth and development."

There has also been a physical development for Mikol.

While he had a level head and a big arm as a sophomore, he was also undersized, to the point that Matthews shied away from letting his quarterback run with the ball.

Now, with two more offseasons in the weight room, Mikol has become a threat with his arm and his legs, and that's changed what Bedford can do offensively.

"I think that was a huge part of the progression of our offense," Mikol said. "Everyone knew I was staying in the pocket and I wasn’t going to be running. Now that we’re able to add that threat, it’s a huge thing. When I drop back to pass, they always have to be ready for me to scramble. It’s a big thing. I put on a bunch of weight, so coach isn’t as scared to run me as he was when I was a sophomore."

Bedford got off to a 2-2 start this season that included a 28-7 loss to Goffstown in which Mikol threw five interceptions. Since then, the Bulldogs have won five in a row to finish first in the North Conference.

That gets them a home playoff game at 1 p.m. on Saturday, where the Bulldogs will host Exeter, who they beat 15-13 on Oct. 15 on a late field goal by Mikol.

Regardless of the outcome of that game, or any others, the end is coming at some point in November. Matthews has tried to put it out of his mind, but when it comes up, he thinks of it in the context of the path his starting quarterback has taken to get here.

"I try not to think of the end of the road, because obviously, you’re enjoying the ride," the coach said. "But when you think about the work he’s put in to get to this point, that’s what I’m most proud of. All the hours in the summer, whether it’s stuff we’re doing as a team or it’s him calling the receivers and getting them out there on his own. Whether it’s working with Trevor Knight on some specific quarterback work. He’s put a lot of time and effort into his progression, it hasn’t just happened."